Method for charging high speed rotary furnaces



G. ZOTOS Nov. 16, 1937.

METHOD FOR CHARGING HIGH SPEED ROTARY FURNACES Filed April 15, 1936 Fjc37.

'i'E S METHOD FOR CHARGlNG HIGH SPEED ROTARY FURNACES Georg Zotos, Berlin, Germany Application April 15, 1936, Serial No. 74,514 In Germany April 23, 1935 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and means for charging high-speed rotary furnaces of the kind wherein the molten material is maintained by centrifugal force as a cylinder which lines the wall of the rotary furnace drum.

The object of the invention is to obtain a favourable utilization of the heat, and with this object in view the invention consists in spreading each charge of materials along a substantial portion of the inner wall of the cylinder. This applies to the material to be fused as well as to additional substances required in the melting process. 7

Depending on the nature of the particular process, the spreading of each charge may be extended to half or more of the length of the furnace space and form a uniform layer in the latter. The charging is moreover effected without raising much or any dust and so that the charge will be rapidly incorporated with the cylinder of molten material and made to participate in the movement of the latter without rolling on the surface thereof.

The charging may be effected through the medium of a ladle or other channelled member maintained substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the furnace and rotatably supported for the delivery of the charge, said member being longitudinally adjustable and sufiicient- 1y elongated for extending the charge over a substantial portion of the cylinder.

The materials are delivered by the ladle in a tangential direction relative to the cylinder, preferably close to the cylinder Wall at the descending side of the latter.

Such an arrangement is illustrated in the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 of which represents a fragmentary, sectional view of the furnace showing the charging 40 member,

Fig. 2 being a section on the line IIII of Fig. 1.

The furnace comprises an open-ended, substantially horizontal drum I made of or lined with refractory material into which all the required materials for the manufacture of glass or the like are charged and into which a heating flame is projected for fusing the materials and 50 rendering them liquid or viscous. The drum is rotated at a high speed, so that materials will be distributed over the inner wall of the drum as a cylinder 2, the drum being provided with end flanges l for retaining the materials within the drum. Flues 4 are provided at the ends of the drum for the admission and discharge of the heating gases.

The fused material is discharged from the furnace in proportion of requirements, and fresh charges of raw materials are added. This charging of raw materials is effected so that the materials will be uniformly spread over a substantial portion of the revolving cylinder. In the illustrated arrangement the charging is done through the medium of a ladle 6 or other channelled member which is maintained substantially parallel to the axis of the drum I and which is rotatably mounted on a carriage 8 or the like by means of which it can be introduced into the furnace space 3 through an aperture 5 in the flue 4. The member 6 is charged throughout its length with materials and then introduced into the furnace where it is rotated for delivering the charge to the latter. A favourable position of the member 6 is that shown in Fig. 2 wherein it occupies an eccentric position near the descending side of the cylinder 2. For the delivery of the materials the member 6 is rotated in the same direction as the furnace, so that the materials will drop on to the cylinder in a tangential direction, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 2, and participate at once in the movement of the cylinder With which they will thus rapidly become incorporated.

The length of the ladle may comprise or more of the length of the furnace space.

The charging method may be carried out by other means than those shown. For instance, the materials may be filled into a pipe which is introduced into the furnace and then slid along a stationary plunger by means of which the materials are ejected and spread out as the pipe is withdrawn from the furnace.

As a further alternative, a worm conveyer may be used for feeding the materials into the furnace with an axial spreading thereof.

When the materials are coarse grained or lumpy, a known form of throwing device may be used and adaptedto spread the materials as they are thrown into the furnace.

The charging device may be operated either by hand or mechanically, and the usual means are provided for cooling the device or otherwise prevent it from being overheated.

The furnace may be worked either continuously or intermittently.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

maintained by centrifugal action as a hollow revolving cylinder, consisting in forming on a charger an elongated heap of raw material, introducing said charger into the furnace with the heap substantially parallel to the axis of the latter, maintaining the charger in an eccentric position near the descending side of the cylinder and above the level of the cylinder axis, and manipulating the charger so as to deposit the heap in its elongated form on the moving cylin- 10 der surface.

GEORG ZOTOS. 

